KQED Science Video Podcast

What's the most harmful kind of air pollution? It's soot generated by diesel engines found in trucks, buses and ships. Diesel engines are the durable workhorses of transportation, but as they get older, they spew unhealthy soot. They are now challenging community activists and government officials to find creative solutions for at-risk areas like West Oakland, California.

In search of the common ancestor of all mammals, UC Santa Cruz scientist David Haussler is pulling a complete reversal. Instead of investigating fossil remains, he's comparing the genomes of living mammals and constructing a map of our common ancestors' DNA. His technique holds promise for providing a better picture of how life evolved on Earth.

The urban forest is going digital. Thanks to volunteers with laptops and handheld devices, San Francisco is creating an online map of every street tree in the city, getting a leg up on keeping the urban landscape healthy and growing.

The Napa and Sonoma microclimates produce world famous wines, but what happens if the climate changes? Scientists are predicting that global warming could increase the number of super-hot days in the California wine region, interfering with the way grapes ripen. Local scientists and wineries are beginning to look at how to prepare.

Do other planets like Earth exist? To find out, a team of astronomers from the University of California is building a new telescope in the hills east of San Jose. QUEST finds out how the team searches for planets and why it matters.

Compared to traditional incandescent light bulbs, new compact fluorescent bulbs use at least two-thirds less energy and last up to 10 times longer. Many say that widespread use would produce major energy savings and reduce global warming emissions. But some people say their lighting is too harsh. QUEST sheds some light on the bulb debate.

The United States has the highest rate of premature births of any developed nation in the world. But why? QUEST meets some of the Bay Area researchers working to answer that question, and discovers some of the technology and cutting-edge medical procedures used to care for the most vulnerable newborns.

Bay Area residents may not get to see the northern lights, but Bay Area scientists are playing a key role in understanding them. Find out more about the spectacular light shows up north and what scientists at UC Berkeley are discovering about the earth's magnetic field.

When it comes to these Bay Area internet celebrities, you can peak into their homes 24 hours day. QUEST visits a famous pair of Peregrine Falcons in downtown San Jose, whose family dramas-- from courtship to parenthood-- are caught on webcam.

California farmers depend on bees to pollinate the state's multi-million dollar fruit and nut crops, but last season thousands of bee colonies disappeared around the country. Meet two Northern California researchers looking for ways to make sure we always have bees to pollinate our crops.

With its rolling hills and winter storms, the Bay Area has been a landslide hotspot, putting houses and lives at risk. Meet the geologists working to understand and predict these natural disasters.

What do kids age 5-8 think about science? Young authors from the KQED Reading Rainbow Young Writers and Illustrators Contest read their science-themed contest entries.

Silicon Valley is planning one of the world's largest wireless networks, providing outdoors Web access to all and services to police and first responders. But how exactly does the technology known as Wi-Fi work?

Over 100,000 acres of wetlands are being restored in the Bay Area, but how do we know what to restore them to? QUEST discovers how historical ecologists are recreating San Francisco Bay wetlands that existed decades ago.

It may look like waste, but to some people it's green power. Find out how California dairy farms and restaurants like Jardiniere are taking their leftover waste and transforming it into clean energy.